February 8, 2138 (Late afternoon)
I knew that the time for Kim to approach Dad would come soon, and I trusted her to keep her end of the deal we made with each other. However, I couldn't make myself leave it alone and I found myself constantly looking at Dad's building to see if Kim would approach it. It didn't take long for someone to do as I expected, but it wasn't Kim. It was Sarah. I figured that Kim wouldn't interrupt them if she found Sarah with him, so I started to go on with the things that needed to be done after a minute or two. But before I could get far enough away I started hearing Sarah's voice getting really loud from inside of Dad's building. It sounded like she was yelling at him with all that she was worth. Worried about what was going on, I approached Dad's building and was going to go inside to try to stop them. I changed my mind as I got close enough to hear what Sarah was saying to him.
"Mom wasn't the only one that could see things, Dad. I'm seeing things, too," Sarah said.
"What? What are you seeing," Dad said.
"Enough to know where this is going if we don't stay here and help them," Sarah answered.
"This city is going to hell, Sarah. And I can't let you and Amber burn with it," Dad said.
"What happened to you? What happened to my Dad," Sarah asked.
"I'm right here where I've always been," Dad replied in a disregarding tone that seemed to light a fire in Sarah the likes that I've never seen or heard before from her.
Sarah started yelling at Dad again, saying, "Like hell you are. How dare you sit there and act like the same man that I saw six days ago laying Mom to rest. Were you lying, Dad? With your Bible quotes? What happened to all of your talk about the single footsteps in the sand, Dad? What happened to that man that said yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me? Where is he? Where the hell did he go?"
Dad didn't answer her and I was in tears by now. I had to try hard to keep myself quiet enough to keep hearing what she was saying. As much as it hurt hearing her let it all go at Dad and hearing her having to throw Mom's funeral up at Dad, a part of me almost laughed at hearing how much she sounded like Mom kicking Dad into gear again. As much as she'll always be my little sister, she's not a little girl anymore. Without getting an answer from Dad, Sarah continued to assault him with her yelling.
"I believed in you and everything that you taught us. Did you lie to us, Dad? Was all of it just charity that you were giving to Mom, acting like you respected her beliefs and all the while you were some sniveling coward that enjoyed running from the machines for all of this time," Sarah yelled with a sarcastic bite at the end of it.
I could hear a glass shattering from inside of the room that they were in, and Dad started yelling back, "Don't you ever talk to me like that. You, with your clumsy ass that couldn't walk across a damn bridge and almost cost Amber her life. What do you know about bravery when everyone else has to be brave for you all of the damn time? What part of watching your sister bleeding out on the beach did you miss? While you stand here talking down at me, who have you saved lately? Come on, hero. Who? Nobody, because everyone has been too busy saving you. Just like I have, and you throw it in my face now like an ungrateful brat."
"I could have just jumped on the grenade and saved you the bother of having to go on saving me any longer. Would that have made you happy, Dad? Maybe you would rather have gotten a son instead of me. A perfect boy that could make it across the bridge and you wouldn't ever have to worry about. Is that what you wanted? Are you regretting not getting to have a son instead of me," Sarah asked.
I wanted to go inside so bad that I could taste it now. Hearing where their conversation was going was tearing me apart, but something told me to leave it alone and let it play out. So I did as Dad spoke again in a lower voice, saying, "No, Sarah. Baby, I love you. I'm just trying to keep you and Amber safe."
"And I'm just trying to reach the man that I called Dad seven days ago. Because I want his footsteps in the sand next to mine when I go to that power plant. And my clumsy ass is going, whether you like it or not. This rifle is my rod, and I won't fear any evil even if you will and even if it kills me. And I'm taking this rod and I'm going to beat something or someone to death with it for taking my mother away from me. Your wife, Dad. And I'll go out knowing that Mom was looking down and was proud of me, even if you're not. Because I know that Kim's going to die in this if she doesn't have help. I've seen it. Laying in the dirt with her eyes frozen open. I won't let it happen. She saved me, and now it's my turn to save her. I'll do it or die trying. So pack your bags and your work up and get the hell out of here if you want to. I'm over this," Sarah said as I could hear footsteps moving towards the door.
"Sarah," Dad called to her.
"I love you, Dad. Whoever you are now. I always will," Sarah said as the door started to open.
I had to hide around the corner to keep her from seeing me, but she walked off without looking in my direction. I could see her wiping the tears from her own face as she walked off towards the tree stand where Tad was supposed to be. I had so many emotions and thoughts running through my mind then that I didn't know what to think about first. Had she really seen what she told Dad that she had, or was she lying to Dad to convince him to help? I had to assume that it was true, but why wouldn't she have told me if it were? If she was telling him the truth, what else could she have seen. Did she know what Tommy and I were up to? Did she know about the virus Dad was working on? Knowing her like I do, it was unlikely that she would tell me what she knew if it were true. If it wasn't true and she told me that it wasn't, I probably wouldn't believe that either. So I would assume that it was to be on the safe side, and try to find out for sure later. If there was going to be a later.
I didn't get to ponder it any longer as Tommy came walking by and seemed to be looking for me. He was carrying a group of long, green things that I couldn't recognize at first and I walked out and got his attention. He stopped and waited as I walked out from behind Dad's building and we walked back to Tommy's building to talk.
"What's going on," I asked Tommy.
"I was asked to equip all of the laser rifles with blades. Which I've done for all of us except for Sarah's. I couldn't find it, so she must have it with her. I was hoping that you could tell me where she is," he replied.
"She just left Dad's room and she had it with her," I said.
"Why do I get the feeling that there's more to it than that," Tommy asked.
"They argued. About what you would expect, but there's something more important that we have to worry about," I replied.
"What now? What could possibly be worse than what's happening already," Tommy asked.
"I think Sarah has developed Mom's ability of precognition," I replied.
"That's great. What would be wrong with... Oh, I see," Tommy replied.
"Everything, Tommy. She could know anything and everything about what we're doing. All of us. If she understands what the visions mean," I said.
"Are you sure? What made you start thinking that she's seeing things like your mother did," Tommy asked.
"She just told Dad that she could. She said that she could see Kim's death if we didn't help take the plant. I have other reasons to think that it's true, too," I replied.
"Because she was mad at you? She had a reason for that already. It might just be her way of getting Dave to change his mind about leaving here with you," Tommy said.
"Maybe. I just don't know, but we have to react as though she's telling him the truth," I said.
"Well, in that case we should take our well dressed helper along with us and get this over with. Before she has time to get less distracted with anything else that she's seeing and starts seeing what's going on with us," Tommy said.
"How? We need the virus and the machine. And how will we get our helper along with us without giving it away? Carrying something that large is going to be obvious. Don't you think," I asked.
"I've already made a copy of Dave's virus, and I have another machine. I got it at the mall and have been hiding it since then," Tommy said.
"I can't believe that you've done this. Do I want to know how you made this happen," I asked.
"No, you don't want to know," Tommy replied.
"Well, how are we going to carry the mannequin with us without someone noticing," I asked.
"We'll have to split it up. I'll carry the torso and you can carry some of the unassembled limbs," Tommy replied.
"Some? Some isn't going to be enough. We'll need it all," I said.
"I know. I told Tad what the plan was. I told him that I couldn't tell him why, but I would as soon as I could. He's going along with it and keeping his mouth shut," Tommy said.
"I just don't see how we can pull this off. We have to deal with the power plant and protect Kim. How are we going to put this thing together in the middle of attacking that place and get them to digitize it," I asked.
"I'm not sure, but we really don't have a choice anymore. Dave put the other machine in his backpack to take with him. If he leaves here with it there won't be a way to stop him from using it himself someday. Unless he's seriously wanting to get a digitizer, digitize it himself and leave it for the dreads to pick up. As much as I want to think that would work, it's as unlikely to work as our plan is. I know this plan is stupid, and any other time I was hearing of it besides now I would think it was a joke. But it's now or never and it's all that I've got," Tommy replied.
"Do you think we need to tell Sarah and Tad everything? I don't see how we can keep Kim safe, make this plan work and take the power plant, too. Not without more help that knows what needs to be done," I said.
"What about Carrie? I don't know her well, but we both know that she cares about Kim. Wouldn't she do anything to keep Kim safe," Tommy asked.
"She's not going with us. She hasn't recovered enough and Kim wants to have her take care of Alan while we do what has to be done. That, and I think that Kim wants to see her get married someday. Either way, Carrie knows where the Memorial Gardens are and she can run away with Alan if things go wrong," I replied.
"I thought she was going along. What changed her mind," Tommy asked.
"Kim ordered her to do what I just told you about an hour ago. Carrie was pretty mad about it, but she said she would take care of him if things went bad," I replied.
"Are you all right with that," Tommy asked.
"Yes. I can't think of many better people that could step in and take him besides her. She's such a selfless person that I don't think she would allow anything to happen to anyone before it happened to her first. By the way. What are you carrying," I asked.
"Oh. They're machetes. And one of them is for you," Tommy said.
"Where did you get these and why do we need them," I asked.
"It was Kim's idea. They were stored away in a shed. Apparently the were for clearing some of this plant life around here or to keep the trails worthy of travel. If we run into those adrenaline junkies with their laser resistant armor, what will we have to fight them with if we don't have these," Tommy asked.
"Fine. Hand one over," I said.
"Amber?"
"What," I asked.
"I'm scared. I don't have a plan like I should have. I don't see how we can even make one with everything that has to be done," Tommy replied with a look of despair covering his face now.
"I'm scared, too. For all of us. But we have to stop running someday. Before the running stops us," I said.
"I love you," Tommy said.
"I love you, too," I said.
It seemed like there were so many other things that needed to be said, but there were so many other things that needed to be done that time wasn't there for us to go on all day.